Save the Slum Initiative (STSI) understands climate change not as an abstract global debate, but as a lived reality that shapes the everyday experiences of millions of vulnerable people across Nigeria. In urban slums, informal settlements, and fragile rural communities, climate-related shocks are already disrupting lives and livelihoods. Floodwaters wash through homes and schools, heat waves make cramped living conditions unbearable, drought reduces food production, and environmental degradation erodes the little security families have. For communities already struggling with poverty and limited access to services, climate change magnifies hardship and deepens inequality, placing women, children, and displaced families at greatest risk.

Across Nigeria, rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, coastal erosion, flooding, and land degradation are becoming more frequent and severe. These changes drive food insecurity, malnutrition, health challenges, displacement, and loss of income, particularly among marginalized populations. In the communities where STSI works, climate impacts are felt daily contaminated water sources increase disease, damaged sanitation facilities compromise dignity and safety, and environmental neglect leaves neighborhoods more vulnerable to flooding and pollution. Climate change, in this context, is not only an environmental issue; it is a threat to health, protection, education, and human dignity.

STSI’s climate change and environmental resilience programmes are built on a simple but powerful belief: lasting solutions must come from within communities themselves. Rather than treating people as passive victims of climate change, STSI works alongside them as partners, supporting local knowledge, leadership, and action. By placing communities at the center of planning and decision-making, STSI helps people understand risks, identify practical solutions, and build resilience that is rooted in their own realities. A core element of this work is community climate awareness and education. STSI facilitates open dialogues where community members can discuss the climate challenges they face and explore locally relevant solutions. Through schools and youth-led initiatives, children and young people are encouraged to understand environmental issues and take pride in protecting their surroundings. Awareness campaigns on waste management, flooding, and heat-related risks delivered in local languages and culturally appropriate ways help translate complex climate concepts into practical actions that families can adopt in their daily lives.

Preparedness is another critical pillar of STSI’s approach. Many climate-related disasters become deadly not because they are unpredictable, but because communities lack the information, planning, and resources to respond. STSI supports community-led risk assessments and hazard mapping, helping residents identify the most vulnerable areas, households, and infrastructure. Flood preparedness activities, early warning awareness, and the development of local emergency response plans enable communities to act quickly and collectively when disasters strike. Trained community volunteers play a key role in sharing information, coordinating responses, and supporting the most vulnerable during emergencies.

STSI also recognizes that climate resilience depends on the strength of essential services. In slum communities, water and sanitation facilities are often the first to fail during floods or extreme weather. To address this, STSI integrates climate-smart approaches into WASH and infrastructure support, rehabilitating flood-resilient toilets, protecting water sources from contamination, and promoting improved drainage systems. Community ownership and maintenance of these facilities are emphasized, ensuring that infrastructure remains functional and sustainable over time, even under changing climate conditions.

Environmental protection and waste management are central to improving both climate resilience and public health. STSI supports community clean-up campaigns in densely populated slums, where unmanaged waste contributes to flooding, pollution, and disease. By promoting waste segregation, recycling, and reuse practices, STSI helps communities reduce environmental hazards while fostering a sense of pride and collective responsibility for their surroundings. Advocacy at the community level also encourages better local environmental governance and long-term behavioral change.

Nature-based solutions offer simple yet powerful ways to address climate challenges while improving quality of life. STSI supports tree planting, community greening, and the restoration of degraded spaces in slum settlements, transforming neglected areas into healthier and more livable environments. Household and community gardens not only contribute to environmental protection but also support food security, nutrition, and mental wellbeing. These green initiatives help communities reconnect with their environment and recognize the value of protecting natural resources.

Recognizing the importance of livelihoods in building resilience, STSI links climate action with economic opportunity, particularly for women and young people. Through climate-smart livelihood awareness, skills training, and youth-led climate initiatives, communities are supported to explore environmentally friendly income-generating activities. These efforts help turn climate challenges into opportunities strengthening household incomes, promoting innovation, and nurturing a new generation of environmental stewards.

Community leadership and participation underpin every aspect of STSI’s climate work. By collaborating closely with community leaders, environmental committees, youth groups, and women’s associations, STSI ensures that climate actions are locally relevant, inclusive, and sustainable. Strong community ownership not only improves outcomes but also builds confidence and collective resilience in the face of ongoing climate uncertainty.

Guided by commitments to gender equality, social inclusion, accountability, and environmental sustainability, STSI’s climate programmes aim to create lasting change. The expected results go beyond immediate risk reduction to include increased awareness and preparedness, cleaner and safer living environments, stronger essential services, and vibrant community-led climate action.

Ultimately, STSI’s vision is of communities that are not defined by vulnerability, but by resilience. By empowering people to protect their environment, adapt to climate change, and work together for sustainable solutions, STSI is helping Nigeria’s most vulnerable communities face the climate crisis with strength, dignity, and hope for the future.